Method and means for attaching fastening elements to flexible sheet material



Oct. l0, 1950 F. K. sLAMoN E-rAL 2,524,842

METHOD AND MEANS EoR ATTACHING FASTENING ELEuENT To FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL Enea Nov. 1, 1944 Patented oa. 1g, 195o METHOD AND MEANS FOR ATTACHING g FASTENING ELEMENTS T0 FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL Florence Kessler Slamon, New Brunswick, and Donald C. Stanley, Elizabeth, N. J., assignors to Industrial Tape'Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Application November 1, 1944, Serial No. 561,481

1 Claim. (Cl. 154-41) This invention relates to an article and method for securing on cloth or similar material fastening elements such as buttons, hooks and eyes, and the like.

According to the invention, there is provided a sheet or tape coated on one side with'a heat sensitive adhesive witha button or other, fastening element secured to the sheet'or tape on` the same side. AIt is a simple matter with the improved article to apply the fastening element in place on a garment when it is originally ymade or in case of repair.' The procedure merely ini volves slitting the fabric or other material to which the fastening element is to be attached,v

passing the fastening element through the slit, and bringing the adhesive side of the tape into contact `with the material on the side opposite that which will present the fastening element.

The application of heat and' pressure tothe back of the tape will render the adhesive suiiiciently plastic to cause it partially to flow intothe adjacent material. Upon cooling, a firm bond is established which, if a proper adhesive is used, will withstand numerous launderings and cleanings. L

A better understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the accompanying drawing. wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a piece of button tape incorporating the invention,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a piece of ma- Y terlal to whicha button has been applied using the improved tape in'accordance with the invention,

Fig. 3 is an exploded'view of the article shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view on line` fastening elements spaced as desired but pref erably in the form of a tape with the fastening elements arranged along it at given intervals.

To apply the fastening element, in accordance with the invention, a, slit I3, suiliciently long to accommodate the fastening element, is made.at the desired point in the cloth of the garment or other article I4 (Figs. '2, 3 and 4). The button I2 is passed through the slit and the adhesive side of the base material I0 brought into contact with the side of the fabric opposite that which will present the button when the latter is finally secured in place.

The assembly is then placed button side down on a support I5, such as an ironing board, and heat and pressure applied to the back side of the tape material as by means of an iron I6 (Fig. 5). Preferably, the adhesive material is of a character such that the application of heat and pressure for a relatively few seconds only will suiice to soften the heat sensitive material and cause it to flow into the fabric so that upon cooling, there results a substantially permanent bond. Furthermore, it is unnecessary to bind the fabric along the edges of the slit I3 since the heat sensitive material, in conjunction with 20 the tape backing prevents the fabric from fraying or unraveling.

It` is preferred that the pressure be applied evenly over the entire surface of the tape backing. To insure this, it is recommended that there be inserted. between the fabric and the underlying ironing board during the pressing operation, a, supporting element I1 which is recessed as at I8 to accommodate the button and which has an overlying portion I9 presenting a at surface underlying the entire area of heat sensitive material.

Any suitable heat sensitivel material providing a good bond and which will stand up vunder the conditions of service to which the fabric is exposed will suillce. Such a suitable heat sensi-4 tive material is disclosed :ln U. S. Letters Patent to del'orest Lott et al., No. 2,325,963, and is as follows:

Parts by Weight A copolymer resin having 87% vinyl chloride and 13% vinyl acetate 70 Dibutoxy ethyl phthalate 25 Butoxy ethyl stearate 5 Calcium stearate 1.4

hooks and eyes, snappers, etc.. are included. Within its Spi 'Ihe inventi therefore, is to be limited only by the prior art and the scope of the appended fastening device, previously secured to a different piece of sheet material on a side thereof coated throughout the area in the vicinity of the fastening device with a heat-sensitive adhesive, through the slit so as to present the fastening device at one side of the first-mentioned sheet material and by application of heat and pressure to the heat-sensitive adhesive, bonding the secondmentioned sheet material to the first-mentioned sheet material at the opposite side thereof throughout the vicinity and along the edges of the slit therein.

FLORENCE KFSSIER SLAMON.

DONALD C. STANLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,896,646 Philips Feb. 7, 1933 2,179,037 Goldschmidt Nov. 7, 1939 2,219,202 Swanson Oct. 22, 1940 2,269,419 Adler et al Jan. 13, 1942 2,368,911 Andler Feb. 6, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 25,123 Great Britain of 1906 27,104 Great Britain of 1909 103,707 Australia Apr. 11, 1938 172,794 Switzerland May 1, 1935 295,975 Germany Jan. 3, 1917 313,283 Great Britain June 13, 1929 

